ainst my conscience?"

I said this with warmth, and Mr. St. Quintin was either too convinced or
too timid to pursue so dangerous a topic any further. I blessed my stars
when he paused, and not giving him time to think of another piece of
debateable ground, continued, "Yes, Mr. St. Quintin, I called upon you
the very first person. Your rank in the county, your ancient birth, to
be sure, demanded it; but I only considered the long, long time the St.
Quintins and Pelhams had been connected."

"Well," said the Rev. Combermere, "well, Mr. Pelham, you shall have
my support; and I wish, from my very heart, all success to a young
gentleman of such excellent principles."

CHAPTER XXXVI.

More voices!

Sic. How now, my masters, have you chosen him? Cit. He has our voices,
Sir!--Coriolanus.

From Mr. Combermere St. Quintin's, we went to a bluff, hearty, radical
wine-merchant, whom I had very little probability of gaining; but my
success with the clerical Armado had inspirited me, and I did not suffer
myself to fear, though I could scarcely persuade myself to hope. How
exceedingly impossible it is, in governing men, to lay down positive
rules, even where we know the temper of the individual to be gained.
"You must be very stiff and formal with the St. Quintins," said my
mother. She was right in the general admonition, and had I found them
all seated in the best drawing-room, Mrs. St. Quintin in her best
attire, and the children on their best behaviour, I should have been as
stately as Don Quixote in a brocade dressing-gown; but finding them in
such dishabille, I could not affect too great a plainness and almost
coarseness of bearing, as if I had never been accustomed to any thing
more refined than I found there; nor might I, by any appearance of pride
in myself, put them in mind of the wound their own pride had received.
The difficulty was to blend with this familiarity a certain respect,
just the same as a French ambassador might have testified towards the
august person of George the Third, had he found his Majesty at dinner at
one o'clock, over mutton and turnips.

In overcoming this difficulty, I congratulated myself with as much
zeal and fervour as if I had performed the most important victory; for,
whether it be innocent or sanguinary, in war or at an election, there
is no triumph so gratifying to the viciousness of human nature, as the
conquest of our fellow beings.

But I must return to my wine-merchant, Mr.